Internal-combustion engine



March 24, 1925.

Filed Jan. 8, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Marh 24, 1925.

M. BECK INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 8, 1

Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES MICHAEL BECK, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed January 8, 1921. Serial No. 435,975.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MIGHAEL BECK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its object to provide an internal combustion engine of greatly increased efficiency, capable of be- 3 ing made in any desirable number of units and having certain advantages over the standard type of engine, all as will be hereinafter described and defined in the claims. As a primary feature of the invention, the cylinders and pistons are incorporated instructures that constitute also a connection between a master crank and a pivotal support, to which pivotal support a rotary valve, controlling admission and exhaust, is mounted. In the preferred arrangement, the cylinders are journaled on and move in proper order with the cranks to which they are connected and the non-reciprocating pistons oscillate on or around the rotary valve and are provided with springpressed receiving heads, which perform important functions to be hereinafter described. The .invention also involves other important novel features to be hereinafter noted.

In the drawings, which illustrate a fourcylinder or four-unit engine, each of which is of the four-cycle type,'like characters in dicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring'to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing all of the cylinders in axial section;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the engine, the master crank being turned ninety degrees from the position shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are enlarged sections taken respectively on .the lines 66, 77, 88 and 99 of Fig. 1.

-cured to one outer end of The various running parts of the engine are preferably mounted in an inverted V- shaped main housing 10, to the bottom of which is secured a crank chamber 11 adapted to contain water 3 and, on top of the water, lubricating oil y j Air-circulating pipes 12, for keeping the oil and water cool, are shown as extended through the crank chamber 11.

Journaled in suitable bearings 13, at the junction of the housing 10 and crank chamber 11, is awmaster crank shaft 14', which, for the four cylinders employed, has four cranks. The numeral 15 indicates a fly Wheel or combined pulley and fly wheel 'se the engine crank shaft.

At its apex or top, the housing 10 is formed with.a cylindrical valve casing 16 in which is journaled'a rotary valve con sisting, as shown, of an outer cylindrical sleeve 17,- an inner cylindrical sleeve 18. and connecting heads 19. This rotary valve controls both admission and exhaust and is formed with an inner chamber 20 and an annular outer chamber 21. 20 is used for admission and the chamber 21 for exhaust, but this arrangement might be reversed. The arrangement of ports in said rotary valve will be later noted.

Each engine unit comprises a cylinder 22, the closed outer end of which is journaled on the co-operating crank of the master crank shaft. These cylinders 22, around their main body portions, have spiral conduits 23, which, at their lower ends, lead from intake ports 24 formed in depending portions of the cylinder heads and preferably provided with check valves 25, see Fig. 2. At its upper extremity, the conduit 23 terminates in Figs. 1 and 3).

Working within each cylinder 22 is a cylindrical piston 27, the upper end of which is rigidly secured to a tubular connecting rod 28. The several tubular connecting rods 28, at their upper ends, are provided with transversely extended sleeve-like heads 29 pivoted for oscillatory movements on the outer cylinder 17 of the rotary controller valve and within thefixed valve casing 16, the latter being cut away at its under side at 16 to afford clearance and permit movements of said piston rod.

Workin within the cylindrical piston 27 is a reced'ng piston head 30, which, as

ports 26, (see particularly The chamber.

controller valve.

shown, has an axial sleeve 31. The numeral 32 indicates a so-called port-extending tube that is telscoped through the receding head and its sleeve 31, is extended axially through the tubular connecting rod 28, andat its upper end, is rigidly secured to the co-operating sleeve-like head-29. The numeral 33 indicates a helical spring that surrounds the port-extending tube 32 and is compressed between the recedin piston head 30 and in an abutment afl'or ed by a nut 34 that works adjustably with screwthreaded engagement in the exterior of the co-operating tube' 32. The upper end of each so-called port-extending tube 32 affords a port that will be brought into registration at proper times with admission ports 35 and exhaust ports 36 of the rotary controlling valve 20. In the arrangement shown, there periphery of said valve and the exhaust port 36 open from the periphery 'of the valve into the annular exhaust chamber 21 of said I valve.

The rotar controller valve. is driven at proper spee from the master crank shaft 14, and with the arrangement of ports described, said valve should be given onethird of a complete rotation for each two rotations of said crank shaft. Otherwise stated, the rotary valve should make one complete rotation for every six rotations of the engine crank shaft. This timing is, of course, for internal combustion engines of the four-cycle type. The connectlons for rotating the valve, as stated, are as follows:

The numeral 37 indicates a chain belt .that runs over a sprocket wheel 38 on the engine crank shaft and over a sprocket wheel 39 'ournaled on a stud 40 secured to one end of the housing 10. 'On its hub, the sprocket 39 carries a spur pinion 41 that meshes with a spur gear 42 on one end of the rotary The sprocket 39 is twice the diameter of the sprocket 38 and the spur gear 42 is three times the diameter of the .pinion 41. This gives the timed action above stated.

The numeral 43 indicates a carburetor, which has a vapor delivery tube 44, the upper delivery end of which-is extended through one end of the controller valve and delivers into the axial vapor chamber 20 thereof. The numeral 45 indicates an exhaust pipe into which the annular chamber 21 of the controller valve discharges through openings 46 in one end of the valve casing 16. In Fig. 2, the numeral 47 indicates a combined oil and water gauge that is connected to the interior of the crank chamber 11 by tubes 48 and 49. The numeral 50 indicates grease cups applied to the top of the valve casing 16 for supplying oil or grease to lubricate the rotary controller valve.

By reference particularly to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the receding piston head 30 has a large sleeve 31 that fits within the cylindrical piston 27 and, near its upper' portion, has small vapor passages 51. The

cylindrical iston 27, considerably above its lower end, ias vapor passages 52 and the cylinder 22, at the upper portion of its spiral conduit 23, has vaporpassages 26. By reference to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the depending portion of the cylinder head has an inclined oil passage 54, the lower portion of which is spoon-shaped and the upper extremity of which leads to the crank journal so that the crank journal will be automatically lubricated. 1

Operation.

The operation of the engine, designed as described, is substantiall as follows:-

The crank shaft of t e engine will be rotated in the direction of the arrow marked on Fig. 2 and the rotary controller valve will be rotated in the opposite direction, that is also indicated by arrows marked adjacent thereto on Fig. 2. The several engine units will erform their working, exhaust, intake and compression strokes in substantially the usual timing relation that is customary in four-cycle engines. In some instances, spark plugs might be provided, but in the. preferred form of the engine, high compression will be relied upon to produce ignition.

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9, particularly, illustrate the valve action for controlling admission and exhaust throughout the one complete cycle of operation which takes place while the controller valve is being rotated through 120 degrees. In Fig. 6, it will be noted that the port-extending tube 32 is in communication with one exhaust port 36, so

that the exhaust of gases is then from the cylinder that has just completed or about completed its working or power stroke. Fig. 7 shows the rotary valve moved about 30 degrees from the position shown in Fig.

6, which represents v180 degrees of movement of the engine crank shaft, thereby bringing one of the intake ports 35 into registration with the port tube 32 so that the explosive va or from the carbureter will be drawn into that cylinder during the intake stroke. Figs. 8 and 9 show the positions of the controller valve during the compression and, power strokes.

When an explosion takes place in any one of the cylinders, the initial forceof the ex-" plosion will, of course, be immediately effective to produce rotation of the engine crank shaft, but it will also be immediately effective to cause the piston head 30 to recede and compress the spring 33, thereby storing up power in said spring. The power thus stored up in the spring 33, at the instant of explosion, will produce the return movement of the piston head as the exploded gas is cool and thereby continue the application of power to the crank shaft. Thus, the force of the explosion is continued over a greater length of time or during a greater number of degrees of movement of the engine crank shaft than in the ordinary internal combustion engineand an action is obtained very much more like that obtained in a steam engine by expansion of caged steam.

Tn starting the engine, very volatile hydrocarbon fuel, such. as high test gas, would advisaloly be used, but after the engine is once started, a much heavier hydrocarbon, such as kerosene, or even heavier hydrocarbon fuel, may he used.

During the time that a particular cylinder is making its suction stroke, the receding piston head 30 will be lowered or extended to its greatest distance into the cylinder and, at such time, the several vapor passages 51, 52 and 53 will be opened so that suction will then act through the spiral conduit 23 and intake port 24, and will open the check valve 25 while the lower end of said port 24 is passing through the oil 12 and water 3 and thus, a small amount of oil and a small amount of water in vapor form will be drawn into the cylinder during the suction stroke. lit will, of course, be understood that the oil and water thus passed through the spiral conduit 23 and other passages noted, will, by the heat produced loy the explosions, be converted into a or. It is also important to note that the iral conduit 23 is of increasing cross section rom its receiving toward its delivery end, so that,

the oil vapor and steam will be permitted to expand as they pass through thecon'duit 23, thereby increasing the cooling effect on the engine. The steam and oil vapors thus delivered into the cylinder will be delivered at the upper end thereof while the explosive vapors drawn from the carburetor through the port tube 32 will be delivered into the lower end of the cylinder. This prevents direct commingling of the explosive vapors with the oil vapors and steam, but the latter, by heat from the explosions, will be superheated and further expanded so that they will prolong and continue the effect of the ex lesion. The oil vapors, of course, fur-' nis good lubricationto the engine, cylinder and piston. v

The adjustment of the spring 33 serves to vary the compression under which the engines will act and'variation of the compression will vary the time of firing. Obviously, the higher the compression, the earlier the explosion and, conversely, the lower the compression, the later the explosion.

It is further important to note that during the compression stroke and during the working stroke, the piston head 30 and its sleeve 31 will be forced upward so that said sleeves will cut off communication between the ports 51 and 52, thereby preventing the escape of gases or vapors from the cylinder through said ports at such times.

What-,1 claim is:

1. In an engine, the combination with a rotary valve, a crank and fixed supports for said valve and crank, of a cylinder journaled on the crank, and a tubular piston pivotedaround the valve for oscillatory movement, said cylinder receiving an explosive charge through the piston from said valve and ex hausting through said piston and valve.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said piston has a spring-pressed receding head slidable thereon and co-operating with said cylinder.

3. In an engine, the combination with a rotary valve, a crank and fixed supports for saidvalve'an'd crank, of a cylinder and piston one of which is journaled on the crank, and the other of which is pivoted around the valve for oscillatory movement and receiving an explosive charge and exhausting through said valve, and a springpressed receding piston head co-operating with said cylinder, said piston having an axial port-extending tube working through said receding piston head. 4. In an engine, the combination with a rotary valve, a crank and fixed supports for said'valve and crank, of a cylinder journaled on the crank, a tubular piston pivoted around the valve for oscillatory movement, said cylinder receiving an explosive charge through the piston from said valve and exhausting through said. piston and valve, and means for aotating said valve in respect to the crank shaft with action timed for four-cycle engine functions.

5. The combination with a crank shaft,.a rotary valve and fixed supports for said shaft and valve, of a cylinder pivoted on said crank, a tubular piston working in said cylinder and having a sleeve pivotally mounted around said valve and equipped with a scoop port for delivering a fuel charge to said cylinder.

6. The combination with a crank shaft, a rotary valve and fixed supports for said shaft and valve, of a cylinder pivoted on said crank, a tubular piston working in said cylinder and having a sleeve pivotally mounted around saidvalve and equipped with a scoop port for delivering a fuel charge to said cylinder, said port being in the form of a tube extended axially into said cylinder.

7. The combination with a crank shaft, a rotary valve and fixed supports for said shaft and valve, of a cylinder pivoted on said crank, a tubular piston working in said cylinder and having a sleeve pivotally mounted around said valve and equipped with a scoop port for delivering a fuel charge to said cylinder, said port being in the form of a tube extended axially into. said cylinder, and a spring-pressed receding piston head working telescopically on said tube and within said cylinder.

8. The combination with a crank shaft, a rotary valve and fixed supports for said shaft and valve, of a cylinder pivoted on said crank, a tubular piston workingin said cylinder and having a sleeve pivotally mounted around said valve and equipped with a scoop port for delivering a full 'charge to said cylinder, and a receding spring-pressed piston head working directly within that cylindrical portion of said tubular piston that is within said cylinder.

9. The combination with a crank shaft, a rotary valve and fixed supports for said shaft and valve, of a cylinder lvoted on said crank, a tubular piston working in said cylinder and having a sleeve pivotally mounted around said valve andequipped with a scoop port for delivering a fuel charge to. said cylinder, and a receding spring-pressed piston head working directly within that cylindrical portion of said tubular piston that-is within said cylinder, said piston liea'd having an axial sleeve telescoped on said port-extending tube and within said suction cylinder.

10. The combination with a crankshaft,

a rotary valve and\ fixed supports for said shaft and valve, of a cylinder pivoted on said crank, a tubular piston working in said cylinder and having a sleeve pivotally mounted around said valve and equipped with a scoop port for delivering a fuel charge to said cylinder, said cylinder having a surrounding conduit with a port at the outer end of said cylinder, and said cylinder and tubular piston having co-operating explosive charge passages for letting the explosive charge into the cylinder under the stroke, and a chamber containmg 1i uid through which the port of said cyl in der is arranged to sweep.

,acting on said piston head, and means for varying the tension of said spring whereby. the compression produced by said piston head may be varied.

13. In an engine, the combination with a cylinder and co-operating piston having a receding head slidable thereon, of a spring acting on said piston-head, means for varying the tension of said spring whereby the compression produced by said piston head may be varied, and means for reciprocating said cylinder in respect to the piston.

14. In an engine, the combination with a cylinder and co-operating piston having a receding head slidable thereon, means for reciprocating said cylinder in respect to the piston, of, a spring acting on said piston head and holding the same for receding action under compression, and means for varying the tension of saidspringto thereby. vary the compression produced by the piston.

15. In an engine, operating receding piston, said cylinder having a surrounding spiral oil and steam vapor conduit of increasing cross section, leading from the exterior of said cylinder to the interior thereof, and co-operating ports in said cylinder and piston arranged to open and close said vapor conduit with a properly timed action.

16. The combination with a crank shaft, a rotary valve and fixed supports for said shaft and valve, of a cylinder pivoted on said crank, a tubular piston working in said cylinder and havinga sleeve pivotally mounted around said valve and equipped with a port for delivering to said cylinder, said cylmder having a surrounding oil and steam vapor passage of increasin cross sec- 'tion leading from the head end 1; ereof and opening into said cylinder, and an oil container through which the intake end of said vapor passage is caused to sweep when the engine is in action.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LHCHAEL BECK.

a cylinder-and a co I 

